Why is daylight savings time starting March 11, 3 weeks early?

Answer 1

federal govt changed it so that we could try an conserve more energy.

Answer 2

The change was mandated by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, with the idea that longer daylight hours will lead to the use of less electricity. It is interesting to note that Benjamin Franklin was the very first person to proposed daylight savings time as a way to curb the use of oil lamps. Daylight savings time has been used since World War I, when it was adopted by to conserve fuel, was mandatory during World War II and finally became law in 1966. But, my favorite statistic is that, originally, daylight savings time began on the last Sunday in April, but was changed to the first Sunday in April when the Barbeque Industry Association had legislation passed in 1986 that moved daylight savings time to the first Sunday in April so more people would barbeque.

Answer 3

Congress changed Daylight Savings. An amendment was added to the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (H.R. 6) to extend Daylight Savings Time by 4 weeks (3 weeks earlier in March and going 1 week later). This Amendment was added as an effort to save energy in the US by adding more daylight hours to the work day hoping that businesses and individuals will need less heat/lighting/etc. during that time. The Amendment was also added to decrease the number of car accidents due to poor visibility and "night blindness." Though this year the change will likely be a pain in the butt and cause problems with electronic devices, the hope is that in the long run it will save energy. H.R. 6 was signed into law in August 2005 and most of its provisions were implemented at the beginning of 2007.

Answer 4

Some congressman in the Northeast, where it's dark a lot, thought it would be a good idea for people to have more daylight in the afternoons. (Don't think he is the kind who gets up very early in the morning, so he won't notice the difference.) Just keep remembering that high noon is at 1 p.m., and you'll do OK.

Answer 5

DST is starting earlier and ending later this year because it is part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The last time it was changed was by President Ronald Reagan's executive order in 1987, when he moved the start from "The last Sunday in April" to "The first Sunday in April."

Answer 6

i have self belief they are experimenting to make certain if a lot less potential (electric powered and others) is used. could keep billions of greenbacks and be reliable for the enviroment. we've more suitable organic ordinary later contained in the day, perhaps highway lighting fixtures are needed a lot less, different outside lighting fixtures. i visit't imagine of different examples off the genuine of my head.

Answer 7

I wish I could even understand this whole concept of daylight savings. You can't save daytime; it comes and goes when it wants.

Answer 8

Its our fearless leaders plan to save energy costs!!! Great minds we have in Washington i tell ya.

Answer 9

Starting in 2007, daylight time begins in the United States on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. On the second Sunday in March, clocks are set ahead one hour at 2:00 a.m. local standard time, which becomes 3:00 a.m. local daylight time. On the first Sunday in November, clocks are set back one hour at 2:00 a.m. local daylight time, which becomes 1:00 a.m. local standard time. These dates were established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Pub. L. no. 109-58, 119 Stat 594 (2005).

Not all places in the U.S. observe daylight time. In particular, Hawaii and most of Arizona do not use it. Indiana adopted its use beginning in 2006.


In 2006, daylight time begins on April 2 and ends on October 29.


In 2007, daylight time begins on March 11 and ends on November 4. [New law goes into effect.]


In 2008, daylight time begins on March 9 and ends on November 2.

Many other countries observe some form of "summer time", but they do not necessarily change their clocks on the same dates as the U.S.

Daylight time and time zones in the U.S. are defined in the U.S. Code, Title 15, Chapter 6, Subchapter IX - Standard Time.



History of Daylight Time in the U.S.
Although standard time in time zones was instituted in the U.S. and Canada by the railroads in 1883, it was not established in U.S. law until the Act of March 19, 1918, sometimes called the Standard Time Act. The act also established daylight saving time, a contentious idea then. Daylight saving time was repealed in 1919, but standard time in time zones remained in law. Daylight time became a local matter. It was re-established nationally early in World War II, and was continuously observed from 9 February 1942 to 20 September 1945. After the war its use varied among states and localities. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 provided standardization in the dates of beginning and end of daylight time in the U.S. but allowed for local exemptions from its observance. The act provided that daylight time begin on the last Sunday in April and end on the last Sunday in October, with the changeover to occur at 2 a.m. local time.

During the "energy crisis" years, Congress enacted earlier starting dates for daylight time. In 1974, daylight time began on 6 January and in 1975 it began on 23 February. After those two years the starting date reverted back to the last Sunday in April. In 1986, a law was passed that shifted the starting date of daylight time to the first Sunday in April, beginning in 1987. The ending date of daylight time was not subject to such changes, and remained the last Sunday in October. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 changed both the starting and ending dates. Beginning in 2007, daylight time starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

Answer 10

It has something to do with the new energy bill that was passed.